


Of Ice and Elves

by alatariel_gildaen



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Prompts in Panem, Romance, Tumblr: promptsinpanem, everlark, familly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 16:59:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2819546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alatariel_gildaen/pseuds/alatariel_gildaen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Single father Peeta Mellark’s life revolves around his young son. When a chance meeting brings an enchanting woman into their lives, maybe it is more than just coincidence—maybe a little extra Christmas magic is at work…</p><p>Written for the Prompts in Panem Holiday Challenge 2014</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Ice and Elves

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to Court18981 for her truly sterling beta work, and to Baronesskika and Lifeloveanddance for pre-reading this. You ladies are fabulous!

"How long's it gonna take now, Daddy?"

"It won't be long, Toby, I promise."

Peeta rested his hand on the top of his son's head, absentmindedly playing with the bobble on his knitted hat. There were only two children in front of them in the queue line now, but waiting to meet Father Christmas in his grotto had already taken up well over an hour of their day, and Toby was starting to get cranky. Even the balloon penguin that one of the costumed elves had made him was beginning to lose its appeal.

Still, Panem Mall boasted one of the best grottos that Peeta had ever seen, even if it had been built beside the gaudy, loud, temporary ice rink that had caught his son's eye on the way in to the mall. Toby had begged Peeta to allow him to have a go, and Peeta's heart had sunk. It just seemed far too dangerous for a six-year-old boy. He watched the skaters on the rink for a minute or two, and one of the young children slipped, her wailing cries ringing out just seconds later. "I don't think so, pickle. Maybe when you're a little older, ok?"

To ease his son's disappointment he had bought him tickets to meet Father Christmas instead, and so far he was impressed with what Panem Mall had created. Huge, decorated pine trees had been brought in to give the specially-built log cabin the impression of being in a magical wood, and several girls dressed as elves were wandering up and down the queue line, performing magic tricks, making balloon models, and talking and singing to all the children.

Peeta sighed deeply. This would be their fourth Christmas since Delly had died, leaving him as a single parent, and she would have absolutely loved everything about this. Christmas was easily her favourite time of year, and her love of it had only grown since having Toby. But a drunk driver put a sudden end to her life as she was leaving work late one night. He quickly blinked back the tears that suddenly threatened to spill as they moved one place further down the queue line.

"Nearly there, pickle," he said, pretending to cough as his words caught in his throat. He didn't want his young son to see him getting upset. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah!" said Toby. "D'you think he'll remember me from last year?"

"Maybe," said Peeta. "You might have to remind him, though. He does meet a lot of boys and girls, don't forget."

"Yeah, but he's _Father Christmas_ , Daddy," said Toby with exaggerated patience.

"I know, pickle. I know. What are you going to ask him for?"

Toby rolled his eyes at his father. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't," said Toby.

"Ok, it's a secret, I understand," said Peeta. For some reason, Toby had been refusing to tell Peeta what he wanted for Christmas that year. He'd just have to 'accidentally' overhear when Toby got to meet Father Christmas.

Finally the door opened, and a voice as sweet as honey said, "This way please."

They walked through the door and were in a small, cozy room, with a large Christmas tree in one corner and a huge rocking chair in another. Presents were piled high around the tree and stockings were hung from every wall. But there was no Father Christmas in here. No one apart from them, and the elf who had ushered them inside.

Peeta looked up to see the elf, and his breath was taken away. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her thick, black hair was tied in a single braid, and underneath all the glitter, fake rosy cheeks, and drawn-on freckles, her olive skin was clear and smooth. Her grey eyes shone with kindness and her smile was wide and genuine.

The elf crouched down so that she was face to face with Toby, and put her hand out towards him.

"Hello!" she said. "My name is Dandelion, and I work for Father Christmas. Have you been a good boy this year?"

"I have!" said Toby.

"Are you sure?" said the elf. She reached into a pocket and withdrew a sparkling, glittery notepad. "I have a list here of all the good boys and girls, so I just need to check you're on it before you meet Father Christmas. What's your name?"

"Toby," he answered, grinning widely. "Toby Mellark."

"Toby?" she repeated, as she opened the notepad, then she gasped. "I thought I recognised your name! You've been very good, haven't you?"

Toby nodded enthusiastically, and Peeta couldn't help but beam along with his son. He wanted to record this moment, and pulled out his phone, taking several snaps of Toby grinning next to the elf.

"Well, are you looking forward to meeting Father Christmas?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," nodded Toby.

"And do you know what you're going to ask him for?"

Peeta's ears pricked up, and he could not help but feel slightly crushed when Toby replied, "I can't tell you. I can only tell Father Christmas. It's a secret."

"That's ok," said the elf. "I understand. Hey, have you heard of my friend, Rudolph?"

"Yeah," said Toby. "He's a reindeer!"

"That's right," said the elf. "And I know a song all about him. Would you like to hear it?"

Toby nodded and grinned, and the elf began to sing. Peeta was completely dumbstruck. Somehow she managed to make the silly children's song sound utterly beautiful. Even Toby fell completely silent as she sang, and Peeta felt a sagging disappointment when she drew the song to a close. He longed to hear more from her, to know more about her, even just to know her real name...

Suddenly the faint sound of sleigh bells could be heard around the room, and her face lit up in a huge smile. "Father Christmas is ready to meet you! This way!"

She opened a door, and beyond, at the end of the long room, Peeta could see Father Christmas sat in a similar rocking chair. But Toby seemed hesitant.

"Wait," he said, looking panicked. "Daddy can't come in."

"It's ok, Toby," said Peeta, trying to hide how hurt he felt at his son's rejection, "I'll come in, but I'll just wait to the side. I promise I won't get in your way."

"No!" said Toby. "You mustn't! I've got to meet him on my own!"

Peeta looked up the elf in desperation. "It's ok," she said soothingly. "Daddy can meet you afterwards."

Peeta tried to protest as Toby walked down the hall to meet Father Christmas, but as soon as the door closed, the elf pulled out a walkie-talkie from her pocket and spoke into it. "The boy's name is Toby," she said. "He's coming in alone." She put the walkie-talkie away, then turned to Peeta. "It's ok. It's not that unusual for them to want to meet him on their own." She opened a second side door that led straight back outside and said, "He'll exit just out there; he'll just be a couple of minutes."

"Thank you," said Peeta, hovering by the door. He didn't feel quite ready to walk away from her just yet.

"You're welcome," she smiled, indicating the door once again.

"I mean it," he continued. "This whole experience… it was really… special."

"That's what we're here for," she said, holding the door open a little wider.

"I think you might have made his Christmas." He smiled shyly and added, "You might even have made mine."

"Ok," she said, looking a little confused. "But I've really got to get the next kids in so…"

"Oh, god, I'm sorry," stammered Peeta, heading outside. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome," she repeated. "And Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too," he said, as the door closed.

Back outside in the brisk, wintery air, Peeta felt like a fool. Had it really been so long since he'd received any female attention that he'd try to catch the eye of a Christmas elf while she was working? She'd probably tell all her friends about the strange man who tried to chat her up, and they'd laugh about him in the pub once her shift ended.

And to top it all off, he still wasn't any closer to finding out what his son wanted for Christmas.

"Stupid fucking _idiot_ ," he muttered to himself under his breath. It hadn't been easy, raising their son alone, and goddamit, Toby deserved a perfect Christmas. How was he supposed to give it to him if he couldn't even work out what his son truly wanted?

A few minutes later Toby emerged from the grotto, a happy smile on his face and a small, wrapped gift in his hands.

"Daddy, I met Father Christmas, and he knew me! He remembered my name!"

Peeta smiled at his son's innocence. "That's great, pickle. Tell me all about it." He picked his son up, and lifted him above his shoulders, trying hard not to think about how 'Father Christmas' would more than likely fail to deliver his son's chosen present that year.

*****************

It was just over three weeks until Christmas, and at some point over the night, Toby had been plagued with a nightmare and had crawled into bed beside Peeta. With his father's arms wrapped around him, he had soon fallen back into a deep, restful sleep. But when Peeta was awoken by the sound of squealing, he assumed that Toby's nightmare had returned.

"S'ok, pickle," he said sleepily. "S'not real, ok?"

"It _is_ though, Daddy, look!"

In a state of confusion, Peeta blinked the sleep out of his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Toby opened the curtains, and Peeta felt blinded by the bright white light that invaded his bedroom.

Everything was covered in a thick blanket of fluffy, pristine white snow. His son's excitement was infectious, and he couldn't help but beam.

"Can we go out and play today?"

Peeta's smile grew even wider. This was the first day since visiting the grotto that Toby had expressed an interest in anything other than going back to visit 'Dandelion.' He had obsessively tried to draw her from the photographs on Peeta's phone and had asked most days if she would come to their house with Father Christmas. And while Peeta had been undeniably intrigued by the girl, Toby's fixation on her was not helping him forget her incredible beauty. "Absolutely," answered Peeta. "We can go and build a snowman, if you like?"

Toby thought for a moment, then answered with a definitive, "Yes. And a snowdog too."

After breakfast he dressed Toby with care, making sure he was well wrapped up against the cold, then Peeta took his son's small hand in his own and together they walked to the nearby park.

There were already plenty of other families building their own snowmen, and groups of teenagers having snowball fights, and it took a little while to find a decent spot for them.

Toby took charge, instructing Peeta exactly how he wanted the snowman to be built, and Peeta was happy to oblige. But it soon became apparent that as much fun as the two of them were having together, building anything out of the powdery snow was next to impossible. They weren't so much building a snowman as creating a vague snow-mound. Peeta had to hold his laughter in when Toby insisted Peeta stick two twigs into the side of the growing snow pile, in the hope that it would make it more human-shaped.

A group of kids nearby were laughing and playing, throwing snowballs at each other, and the sound of their joyous laughter caught Toby's attention. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open. "Dandelion!" he shouted, and he tore off in the direction of the other children.

Peeta turned around to see what had caught his son's attention, only for his heart to skip a beat when he saw the beautiful elf from the grotto watching over the group of playing children. As much as he wanted to see her again, he didn't want to risk his son finding out that he hadn't actually met Father Christmas. He chased after Toby, catching up to him just a moment too late. "Toby, wait!"

"Dandelion!" called Toby again, trying to get her attention.

"Toby, it's not—"

"It is, Daddy, it's Dandelion!"

"Toby—"

"But, Dad, look!"

"Dandelion?" said the woman, as Peeta caught her eye and silently pleaded with her not to reveal anything to his son. "Oh! You must be talking about my cousin! She's a half-elf, and she's been over here from Lapland recently. We look really similar."

"Cousin?" asked Toby, as Peeta mouthed a silent, _'Thank you'_ to the woman.

"Yeah. She's so lucky, she works with Father Christmas, you know."

"I know!" said Toby excitedly. "I met him too!"

"Did you?" she said. "What was he like?"

"Really cool. He gave me a colouring book and some pencils. I've already done the fire engine, and the teddy bear, and the turtle, and the horse, and the footballer, and the doctor, and next I'm going to do the dinosaur."

"Wow! You must be really good at colouring in!"

"Yeah," said Toby. "But Dad likes to help me."

"Does he?" said the woman, looking up at Peeta, and he felt his face flush a deep scarlet.

"Yeah. But he's not as good as me."

"Oh, I bet," grinned the young woman.

"Come on, Toby," said Peeta, wishing the ground would open up beneath him. "I'm sorry to have bothered you," he said, inclining his head towards her.

"It's no bother," she said. "I'm Katniss, by the way."

"Peeta."

"And this must be Toby, then!"

Toby nodded.

"Are you having fun today, Toby?"

"Yeah. We're building a snowman," he said, pointing towards the non-descript mound of snow.

"It's not finished yet," added Peeta, feeling himself go an even deeper shade of red.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be great when it's done," smiled Katniss.

They all fell silent for a moment, while Katniss gazed over towards the group of raucous kids. "They're not yours, are they?" Peeta asked, indicating the seven or eight children. He immediately wished again for the ground to swallow him whole. Of course they weren't hers. What a stupid, unbelievably insulting thing to insinuate to her. She couldn't be older than twenty-five, and some of those kids were maybe eleven or twelve. He was usually so good with words, and yet Katniss was making him trip over everything he tried to say.

But if she was insulted, she hid it well. "No, they're not mine," she said. "Well, not in _that_ sense, anyway. But I'm looking after them. I volunteer for Mockingjays. It's a charity that organises days out for underprivileged kids," she added, in response to Peeta's unasked question. "We were supposed to be heading on a coach trip out of the city, but with the weather this morning… We didn't think it was safe to travel. So here we are. We're trying to reorganise something for next week instead."

"I don't blame you," said Peeta. "I wouldn't want to travel anywhere in this." For a moment he pictured Toby amongst those kids, travelling on a coach trip in this icy weather… He shuddered at the thought and held his son's hand a little tighter.

"Daddy, can I go and play with the children?"

Peeta looked over at the group of kids, who were involved in an over-enthusiastic snowball fight. "I don't know, pickle. They're all big kids and—"

"He'll be perfectly fine, they're good kids," said Katniss. "Hey, Rue!" she called, and the smallest of the children came running over. "This is Toby," she said to the petite girl. "Can he come and play with you?"

"Sure!" said Rue, holding out a mittened hand. Toby let go of his father and took hold of Rue, and the two of them ran back towards the other playing kids.

"Be careful, Toby!" called Peeta after his son, who ran towards the other kids without looking back.

"He's a sweet boy," said Katniss.

"Yeah," agreed Peeta, not taking his eyes off Toby for a moment. "Yeah, he's a really good kid. His mum would be proud of him."

"Is she not around at all?" she asked lightly.

Peeta shook his head sadly. "No. She…she passed away. A few years back."

"I'm sorry," she said. "Must have been hard, bringing him up alone. Unless…there's someone else?"

Peeta turned to her in a state of confusion, unsure whether she was asking merely to make conversation or… He shook himself, refusing to allow himself even the possibility of the thought that she could be interested in him.

"No," he said, eventually. "It's just the two of us."

"Well, you're doing a great job."

"Thanks," said Peeta, allowing himself a smile. He turned to face Katniss. "Really. That means a lot to me."

She returned his smile, and it was so warm and genuine, sending a pleasant tingle throughout Peeta's body.

"So…" he began, "how did you decide to become an elf?"

She leant in closer towards him. "Can you keep a secret?" she said.

"Sure," Peeta nodded.

"I _am_ an elf."

Peeta stared at her for a moment, unsure what to say, but then she started laughing. "Just kidding," she said. "I just… love kids, I guess. I always have done. I pretty much brought my sister up myself, and seeing her smile was the greatest feeling to me. I wanted to do something with my life where I could recreate that feeling. I became a children's entertainer, so the transition to elf was pretty simple. How about you? What do you do?"

Even with the bitter cold, Peeta could feel the heat that flooded his face. "Nothing as exciting as that," he said. "I work part-time in a bakery."

Katniss' eyes widened. "That's awesome!" she said. "Do you get free food?"

"I get _offered_ free food," he said. "But I wouldn't eat anything from there. It's a soulless chain. I can make everything they do myself at home far better."

"Really?" said Katniss. "I might have to get you to prove that to me sometime."

Peeta felt himself flush once again. Ignoring the comment, he said, "The rest of the time I guess I'm a one-on-one children's entertainer."

"That's a full-time job in itself, right?"

"You're not kidding," he said.

"Do you get much time for your own fun at all?"

He shook his head, smiling a self-deprecating smile. "Nah. It's ok though. I'm pretty sure the latest series of _Peppa Pig_ is far more gripping than _Breaking Bad_ could ever be."

Katniss chuckled at his joke, and Peeta's own smile widened. He glanced over at Toby, who was running around with the other children, making and throwing tiny snowballs that were hitting no one. Despite that, he seemed to be having the time of his life.

"You know, kids' stuff can be just as fun, though," said Katniss lightly.

Peeta was just about to reply, and it took him entirely by surprise when something cold and wet hit him in the side of the face.

After the initial shock, he turned towards Katniss, who was giggling at him, the evidence of the powdery snowball she had just thrown still clinging to her gloves. "I hope you know what you've just started," said Peeta, bending down to pick up a handful of snow. As soon as he stood up again, a second snowball caught him square in the face, making him drop the one he was just forming.

"I see," he said, wiping the snow from his eyes. "Is that how you're gonna play?" He quickly bent down, scooping as much of the snow as possible into the crook of his arm, and grabbed a handful, lobbing it at Katniss. She squealed and started running towards her group of kids, and he chased after her, throwing handful after handful of snow in her direction. He felt truly exhilarated, alive, and awake in a way that he hadn't felt in years, and he couldn't help but echo Katniss' wild laughter as he ran after her.

As soon as they were close to the group of kids, one of the young girls spoke up. "Is that your boyfriend, miss?" she said, and the other girls in the group whooped loudly. He felt his face flood with colour as Toby looked at him questioningly. Peeta found that he couldn't quite look his son in the eye.

"No, Leevy," said Katniss. "This is Peeta. Toby's dad. We're friends."

"Yeah. _Boy_ friend," she giggled.

"If he was my boyfriend, do you think I'd do this to him?" Another snowball caught him in the face, and as he wiped the icy wetness away, all the kids immediately resumed their fight, all of them attacking Katniss, who shrieked and laughed each time she was hit.

They played until everyone's faces were red and tingling from the cold, and Katniss put a halt to the fun. "Ok, ok!" she called out to the group. "I think that's enough! Let's get everyone inside and get you all a hot drink before we all freeze." She turned to Peeta, who was checking on an excited but chilly Toby, and said, "You're more than welcome to join us, if you'd like."

He was about to open his mouth to say that yes, he would love to, but immediately closed it again. Was she….was she asking him out, perhaps? His mind stumbled, and his thoughts raced between Delly and Toby, and Katniss. A lump born of guilt formed in his throat as he tried to decide what to do. Delly would want him to be happy, surely? But how would Toby feel if he invited someone else into their lives? He couldn't really remember his mother, and was so used to it just being the two of them…

Peeta brought himself back into the present. He was being far too presumptuous. It was just a drink, after all. And with all these kids around, it wouldn't even class as a date, surely?

Still, he thought it best to check with Toby first. "What do you say, pickle? Would you like to go and get a hot chocolate?" Toby nodded enthusiastically and grabbed hold of Peeta's hand. "I think that's a yes, then, if you don't mind us tagging along."

"Not at all," smiled Katniss. "This way, everyone!" she called, marching everyone towards the park exit.

"Where are we heading to, then?" he asked her.

"Starbucks," she answered. "I know. It's hardly glamorous. But at least we can all fit in one."

It was only a short walk to the café, and as they stepped inside they were greeted with a warm blast of air and the welcoming scent of roasted coffee beans. After Katniss had ordered and paid for the drinks for her group, carefully placing the receipt in her wallet, Peeta ordered a tall hot chocolate for Toby, and a venti double-syrup hazelnut soya latte for himself. He sprinkled the top with cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg before he joined Katniss on a large, comfortable armchair.

"That looks..." began Katniss, before she shook her head and started laughing. "I don't even know what that looks like."

"Life's too short for boring, plain coffee," Peeta replied, taking an appreciative sip. "And anyway, I have a sweet tooth."

"Clearly," she grinned. "How do you manage to keep your figure?"

"An extra fast metabolism?" he suggested. "Probably a mix of that and running around after a six-year-old all the time."

"I hear you there," she laughed. She picked up her mug of hot chocolate and cradled it in her hands, taking a few delicate sips. Peeta couldn't help how his eyes were drawn to her mouth, how her tongue licked the creamy chocolate from her lips…

His stomach flipped at the sight of her tongue and his mind suddenly raced at the thought of how it would feel caressing his own. To try and stop himself from staring, he picked up his own drink and took a giant gulp, hoping that she hadn't noticed the redness in his cheeks that he could already feel spreading to the tips of his ears. But he couldn't help himself. As soon as he lowered his drink, his eyes were once again drawn to her, and he found himself studying every last detail of her face. The bow of her top lip, the slight upturn of her nose, the length of her dark eyelashes, the way her eyes precisely mirrored the colour of a turbulent sky…

No other woman had ever had such an immediate effect on him. Even Delly had crept up on him over time.

Katniss looked up from her chocolate and caught his eye. He immediately turned his gaze away from her, hoping that she hadn't noticed how much he'd been staring.

"So…" he said, his mind racing for a topic to save his embarrassment. "Is...umm…is Dandelion over here for long?"

Katniss quickly glanced over at Toby before she answered. "She told me that she's working with Father Christmas for most days right up until Christmas Eve. Then, of course, he'll be delivering presents all night, and she has to go back to Lapland until next year."

Peeta nodded his understanding. "Must be pretty tiring for her, I imagine."

"She's used to it," shrugged Katniss. "It's been her way of life for so long that she can't imagine it being any other way."

He bought himself and Toby another drink, and offered to get more for Katniss and her group as well, and tried to hide his relief when she told him not to worry; she'd been given money from the charity to buy food and drink for them. Money was pretty tight, and if he was being honest, buying a round of drinks for nine people, especially this side of Christmas, didn't fit into his budget.

Conversation with Katniss flowed so easily, and he soon lost track of time. It wasn't until Toby started to get restless and very obviously over-tired that Peeta looked at his watch and realised how long the two of them had been talking.

"Oh my goodness," breathed Katniss, looking panicked as she too looked at the time on her phone. "I need to get these guys back. I'm so, so sorry. We're going to have to shoot. Coats on everybody. Chop chop."

"No problem," said Peeta. "I should probably get this one home as well," he added, throwing an arm around his son.

"Can you say hello to Dandelion for me?" asked Toby.

"I sure can," she replied, as she pulled her coat on and wrapped a thick, green scarf around her neck. "And don't forget, you still have to be good so that Father Christmas comes on Christmas Eve."

"I will," promised Toby.

She waved goodbye to the pair of them, and walked her group of kids outside, pausing briefly to wave at them once more through the window.

Peeta let out a deep breath, and sat back in his chair, smiling to himself.

"Katniss is nice," said Toby.

"Yeah," said Peeta, his grin widening. The fact that she had already won Toby's approval only made his opinion of her even greater, and he felt as if he were walking on clouds all the way home.

It was only then that he realised he had forgotten to get her phone number. He had missed his chance.

*************

Over the course of the following week, Peeta had considered calling the Mockingjays charity to see if he could contact Katniss that way, but the more he thought about it, the more ill-advised an idea it seemed. Maybe she hadn't offered her number to him on purpose, and the idea of calling a children's charity to get the contact number of one of their volunteers seemed embarrassingly laughable.

He tried to push her from his mind and focus instead on his son, who was still maintaining a stony silence about what he wanted for Christmas. And so Peeta had used his best judgement instead. By the weekend, all the presents were bought and wrapped, and Peeta just hoped that at least one of the toys he had bought for his son was what he really wanted.

Toby was getting more and more excited every single day, and to try and distract him from sneaking a look at what was inside the brightly coloured packages, Peeta had found a small café that allowed you to paint your own designs onto mugs, plates, or bowls. The activity had the added bonus of not only keeping Toby busy, but it kept his own mind from dwelling too much on what he had potentially lost in Katniss. He booked the two of them in for an early afternoon slot, and paid for a plate for Toby to decorate, and an extra-large mug for himself.

Toby wanted to draw something for Peeta to paint, and likewise wanted his dad to draw something that he could paint.

"What would you like on this?" asked Peeta, pulling the plate towards him.

"A robin, please," replied Toby. "And I'm gonna draw you a Christmas tree and presents."

Their seat was by the window, and every now and again Peeta looked up to watch the world go past. The wind blew in the faces of the Christmas shoppers, and they wrapped themselves up further against the cold, as the gusts whipped the snow up into the air. Peeta picked up his coffee, allowing the heat to warm his hands from the bitter weather; he'd barely be able to pick a pencil up, let alone draw anything, until his fingers regained any feeling from the cold.

They hadn't been in the café for very long, when someone outside caught Peeta's eye. A knitted green hat and matching scarf covered most of her face, but despite that, her grey eyes were still visible. And those eyes had played a part in so many of his waking thoughts over the past week.

"Katniss," he breathed, and Toby looked up as well.

"Is she coming to play with us again, Daddy?" asked Toby excitedly. He looked outside and saw the approaching figure.

"No, Toby," said Peeta in a hushed tone. "She's not coming here for us, she's just—"

"Katniss!" called Toby, as he stood up and banged against the glass window, immediately catching her attention.

Her eyes widened in recognition, and she waved at the pair of them, before pushing open the café door. "Peeta?" she said, rushing over toward their table. "Oh my goodness, I didn't think I'd get to see you again!"

He immediately became a torrent of emotion. As much as he wanted to see her again, he had all but convinced himself that she had neglected to leave her number with him on purpose. So why was she acting so happy to see him? "Likewise," he replied at last, annoyed at how cold his voice sounded. "How are you?"

"Good! Really good, actually," she added. "I can't believe I've bumped into you again!" Her face was flushed from the cold, but as she stood there, a deeper shade of pink coloured her cheeks, and she hovered awkwardly for a moment or too, as if she couldn't make up her mind whether to stay or go. Making up her mind, she pulled up a chair beside Peeta. "I'm so sorry to have rushed out on you," she said in a hushed voice.

"It's really... it's fine," he said stiffly.

"I mean it," she said, and she laid a gentle hand upon Peeta's forearm.

His mouth went dry, and he tried to tell her once again not to worry, and to apologise for acting so wounded, but at that moment, the café owner came over to ask her if she was joining Peeta and Toby. She looked at them questioningly, silently asking them for permission, and Peeta nodded. A few minutes later, the owner returned with the bowl that Katniss had ordered.

"I have no idea what to put on this," she said. "What have you done?"

Peeta showed her the robin he was drawing. "That's amazing," she said.

"It'll look better once Toby's painted it, isn't that right, pickle?"

"Yeah," said Toby.

"Do you want to show Katniss what you're drawing for me?"

Toby held up the mug, showing the outline of the Christmas tree and square box beneath it. "Well, I was going to ask Peeta for help to draw mine, but maybe I might have to ask you instead," she said.

Toby beamed widely, and Peeta felt himself melt a little. She was so intuitive, so good with kids, and that was a quality more important to him than almost any other.

"What are you gonna put on yours?" Toby asked her.

"Hmmm…some kind of meadow, I think," she said. "Can you help me with that?"

"I can do trees, but Daddy's good at flowers. He'll do it for you."

"Toby, I think Katniss would probably like to do it herself," he said, passing the plate with the completed drawing of the robin on it to his son. "And I need you to paint this for me, anyway."

Toby nodded, took the plate, and passed the mug back to Peeta. He then picked up a paintbrush, dipping it into the pot of red paint, and splodged a thick splash of colour across the robin's breast.

"I still can't believe what an amazing coincidence this is," said Katniss, as Peeta picked up a brush of his own, dipping it into the rich green ink. "And by the way, before you get too cosy painting that, I still need your help on mine."

Peeta grinned and took the bowl from her. She described, in great detail, precisely the meadow scene she wanted to try to recreate, and Peeta drew everything exactly as she wanted it. Every now and then she rested her hand upon forearm, and his heart would beat a little faster each time. He couldn't help but notice the looks that the pair of them were getting from Toby—with every subtle touch that Katniss gave him, a sly smile seemed to appear on Toby's face.

After Peeta had finished drawing the meadow scene for Katniss, he turned his attention to painting his own mug. And he took far longer to do it than was strictly necessary, not wanting to have to leave Katniss' company any time soon. He marvelled at how human, how incredibly normal she made him feel.

Occasionally he glanced up at her, grinning at how she would alternatively display a deep level of concentration and stillness as she focused upon painting her meadow, and then in a heartbeat she would offer her help to Toby. And each time she caught him looking, she offered him a shy smile, making his heart flutter.

Suddenly she placed the bowl down in front of her and leaned in close towards Peeta. "Can I ask you something, if it's not too forward?" she said in a low voice.

"Sure," he answered.

She looked across the table at Toby, who was still engrossed in painting. "Probably best to do it away from a certain someone," she said.

"Oh," he said. Turning to Toby, he said, "Do you want another drink, Toby?"

"No thanks, Dad."

"I'm getting a coffee, ok? Katniss?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll help you."

As soon as they were out of ear shot of Toby, Peeta asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah," said Katniss, "I just didn't want him to hear and ask awkward questions. The grotto's closing on Christmas Eve, you see, and the owners have paid for all of us to have a session on the nearby ice rink after our final shift. They've said we can bring a couple of guests as well. I was wondering... would you like to come as my guest? Toby too, of course."

"Absolutely," he answered immediately, but then a memory came back to him. He recalled the ice rink that had been built next to the grotto. He also recalled the cries of the child they had seen fall over. "Although," he added, his heart sinking even as he spoke. "It doesn't seem very…safe…"

"He'll be fine," she assured him. "I've seen parents take kids, as young as two on. And it won't be busy, so you won't have to worry about anyone knocking into him. I'll look out for him. You too."

He glanced towards Toby, who was watching them questioningly. Katniss followed his line of sight and waved towards Toby, who grinned and waved back enthusiastically. "Sure thing," he said. "I'll go with you."

She threw her arms around his neck. "You won't regret it, I promise," she said. As he returned her hug, he couldn't help but notice the smug grin on his son's face.

***************

He hadn't stopped thinking about her. Nor had he stopped worrying about the possibility of Toby falling and hurting himself, and him being unable to do anything to stop it. And finally, he hadn't stopped worrying about how much of a potential fool he was likely to make of himself on the ice.

But most of his thoughts had been centred on her. And that fact plagued him with guilt.

He was meeting Katniss at the rink at five o'clock. It was nearing four, and so far he and Toby had spent the day together, baking mince pies. Toby was now watching A Muppets' Christmas Carol, while Peeta put the finishing touches on the Christmas cake. As he moulded a snowman out of fondant icing, he recalled a Christmas seven years earlier. Delly was heavily pregnant and had insisted Peeta make two cakes that year: one soaked in brandy as per tradition, and one alcohol-free one that she could have all to herself. She was terrible at decorating the cakes, but always insisted on helping out. Peeta remembered in great detail the penguin she had tried to create, and how she somehow had managed to get the black and white icing to completely mix together, so that the penguin became nothing but an amorphous grey blob. He grinned to himself at the memory and a framed photograph on the wall caught his eye; a portrait of himself, Delly, and baby Toby, all three of them smiling widely.

"Is this ok?" he whispered to the photograph, dropping the icing in his hands and focusing on Delly's smiling face. "I miss you. I'll always miss you. But I think I'm ready to move on. I really hope that's ok."

He brushed his fingers lightly over the photograph, just as Toby came running into the kitchen. "Is it time to go yet?" he asked.

Peeta glanced once more at the photo of Delly. Her smile seemed to say 'Yes,' and it felt like a weight lifted from his chest. "Yes, pickle. It's time," he said.

***************

Katniss was already waiting for them at the rink by the time they arrived. "Ready?" she asked.

"I guess so," lied Peeta in response.

She led them both into the heated gazebo, where they exchanged their shoes for a pair of skates each. Katniss had also had the forethought to book a skating aid for Toby: a smiling plastic penguin that he could push around in front of him to help him keep his balance.

Once they were booted up, all three made their way outside to the rink's edge. A handful of snowflakes were suspended in the air, falling almost in slow motion. The rink was surrounded by enormous Christmas trees filled with fairy lights, and the PA system played classic festive songs. At the edge of the rink, a stand was selling mulled wine, hot spiced apple juice and roasted chestnuts. There was a special kind of magic at work, and for a moment, Peeta forgot how nervous he was.

Then Katniss stepped easily on to the ice, and his nerves returned tenfold. An ice steward from the rink helped Toby on to the ice, holding the penguin steady while he positioned himself behind it. Without any hesitation, Toby started to push the little penguin in front of him.

"Not too fast, ok, Toby?" he called, but his son was already away.

The moment he stepped on to the ice himself, he felt his feet fly out from underneath. "Holy shit!" he hissed, as he grabbed on to the edge of the rink. Katniss glided past him smoothly, coming to a halt just beyond him.

"You ok?" she grinned.

"Yeah," he lied. He tried to propel himself forwards and immediately felt himself slip once again. "No," he confessed.

"Here," she said, standing in front of him and putting her hands out. "I promised I'd look out for you. Take my hands."

She took hold of him, one hand at a time, and he gripped on to her tightly. He couldn't stop wobbling, but did feel safer clutching on to her for support.

"We'll go slow, I promise."

He marvelled at how she was not only able to stay upright, but to move backwards as well, and on top of that she refused to let go of him.

Every now and again, Toby came shuffling past. "Look at me, Daddy! I'm doing it!" he shouted as he went by.

"That's great, Toby," Peeta called back. He watched his son for a while, and he swallowed heavily, wanting to be able to share in his son's joy.

Almost as if she could read his mind, Katniss loosened her grip on Peeta's hands. "You can do this," she said, and she let go of his right hand, spinning round to face forward, keeping a loose hold on his left hand.

They kept their speed to a minimum, and soon Peeta found that he was wobbling less and less. The next time Toby came shuffling past, Peeta said to him, "Do you want to come round with us for a little while?"

Toby looked at them both appraisingly. His eyes landed on where their hands were clasped together, and he stared for a moment or two, then he shook his head and skated away from them.

"Charming," said Peeta as he watched his son, then an awful thought came to him. What if Toby was put out of sorts by the fact that his father was holding hands with someone? He tried to release himself from Katniss' grip, but the second he was standing alone on the ice without support he lost his balance.

Without thinking, he threw his hand out towards her and grabbed her wrist, but the extra support she provided was too little, too late, and his feet flew out from underneath him. He found himself flat on his back, and a split second later he was winded as Katniss fell directly on top of him.

"I'm so sorry!" he gasped, and she apologised profusely at the same time. He tried to clamber to his feet, but was flat on his back again mere seconds later, Katniss once again on top of him. "I think we're just going to have to stay here," he laughed, and she joined in with his mirth.

But then she paused in her laughter and gazed down at him. He became vaguely aware that Wham's _Last Christmas_ was playing over the PA, and it gave him the urge to laugh even more. But he swallowed the desire as she leaned in closer towards him.

He could feel the freezing water from the melting ice seeping into his clothes, but he didn't care. She was so close...so impossibly close. Snowflakes had settled on her eyelashes, and he was mesmerized by them as she slowly blinked. Her hands were on the ice on either side of his face and she seemed to be holding her breath.

He reached a gloved hand behind her head and gently pulled her towards his waiting lips. She offered no resistance, and when her mouth melded to his, she immediately took the lead. Her tongue ran across the seam of his lips, causing his heart to flutter rapidly, and he held her head steady as he opened his mouth a little wider to her, meeting her tongue with his own.

He opened his eyes briefly, just to quickly check that Toby was still ok. His son was happily skating around on the other side of the rink, and so he closed his eyes once more, focusing entirely on her. She deepened the kiss, sliding her fingers under his hat and twining them into his hair as she slowly drew his bottom lip into her mouth. Her teeth gently grazed along the sensitive flesh, eliciting a groan from him that started deep within his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer into him, not caring at that moment whether anyone was watching them, or that the icy water had soaked his back.

She shifted her weight a little on top of him, and her thigh rubbed against his erection. He felt her sharp inhalation of breath, and he whined a little as she slowly pulled away. Her pupils were dilated and she was a little breathless, then her face cracked into a huge grin. "You need to get up before you freeze," she said, brushing a stray curl away from his forehead.

"I umm… I don't think getting up is a good idea right now," he answered, indicating the obvious bulge in his trousers with a nod of his head.

"Daddy?"

Peeta's head snapped up guiltily and he saw the inquisitive face of his son. "Toby? I…umm…" Katniss scrambled to get off him, and he sat up on his knees, as Toby pushed the penguin a little closer. "Toby, I'm sorry, I—"

"Why are you sorry?"

"I…come here, pickle." He spread his arms wide, and Toby shuffled forward until he was able to abandon the penguin and put his arms around his father's neck. "It's ok, Daddy," he said into Peeta's ear. "I know what's happening. I asked Father Christmas to make you happy, and he's made it come true."

Peeta looked his son in the eyes. "You asked Father Christmas to—"

"Make you happy. And right now you are."

He pulled Toby close to him, holding him tighter than ever. Katniss was watching them both with a wide smile on her face. She mouthed the words _'Happy Christmas,_ ' to him, before putting a hand out and pulling him to his feet. He kept one hand on the edge of the rink, and held Toby's hand in the other, while Katniss skated on the other side of them. The three of them continued slowly on the ice for a while before Katniss broke the silence.

"So… are you all set for tomorrow?"

"I think so. We still need to hang your stocking, don't we Toby?"

"Yeah."

"And you? Are you all ready?"

She smiled a half smile. "Kind of," she said. "I'm working in the day and then when I get home it'll be frozen pie and chips for dinner, followed by getting into my pyjamas and watching old Christmas movies."

"What? You're working? Tomorrow?"

"Yup. Five hundred quid for an hour's work, two hours tops, and I can't afford to pass that up." She shrugged a little half-shrug. "It's ok. It'll be easy work. Chatting to kids in a hotel, making a few balloons, maybe a little simple magic, and then home in time for dinner."

"Not much of a Christmas dinner, though," said Peeta.

"We're having Christmas cake," said Toby, grinning up at Katniss.

"Not just cake. There's more than that, isn't there?"

"Yeah. We're having roast spotatoes—"

" _Potatoes_ , pickle."

"Yeah, and gravy, and peas, and carrots and mushroom wellies—"

"Wellington," corrected Peeta. A crazy thought suddenly came to him. "Katniss," he began, "it would take no effort at all for me to make enough food for three instead of two. I hate the idea of you being alone at Christmas. I could have it ready for whenever you finished work. And our evening was going to consist of sitting under a duvet and watching _Elf_. If you, maybe, felt like joining us…?" Peeta stopped skating, still clutching tightly on to Toby's hand and turned towards Katniss, his heart pounding painfully, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't reject him.

"Do you mean that?" she asked.

"Absolutely. What do you say, pickle? Would you like it if Katniss comes round tomorrow?"

"Yes, please!" said Toby, looking up at Katniss with a wide smile on his face.

She looked down at Toby and placed her hand on his head, rubbing the top affectionately. "Thank you," she said to him, then she looked up at Peeta. "And you," she said, holding his gaze squarely. "Would you like it, too?"

"I would," he said.

"Then it's a yes," she said, and she skated into his waiting arms, covering his face with kisses.

He held her tightly, and Toby threw his arms around his father's legs. "Happy Christmas, Daddy!" he said.

"You too, pickle. You too." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and his smile grew wider with every passing second. It was promising to be a very happy Christmas indeed.


End file.
